The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[aoxa]

X3 stunning bird. I'm curious is the grey fluff on his bottom chick fluff that will grow out?

I think you have a show winner there !!

That's what Orps are like. Lots of fluff in the butt area.

Very nice bird Vicki.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hah! Like wise! I had been putting it off but one of those big boys picked a bantam RIR hen up by the scruff of her neck this morning and shook her like a rag doll. That was the last straw. I rounded them up and cooped them up tight then took one at a time, banded and made a note about good and bad traits for each one. Not one of the nine have a DQ. A couple are slow to redden in the face and comb and their heads are narrow. They felt lighter than the other seven so those will get processed.

There is peace out there right now. The boys are finally separated and have ID.

I need to order size #12 and #14 bands. #11 just fit right now at five months. They are ok on the pullets.

It wore me out catching and handling those boys. Glad I had already processed three for the table. Nine large HRIR cockerels are an armful and then some.

My HRIR and German New Hampshires are 20 weeks old this week. I have 7 cockerels out of 8 GNH, so I banded them last week with #11's, and this week they are too tight. Mumsy I'm glad you said you were getting 12's and 14's for your HRIR, because I will band them next. My ratio is better with them--5 pullets and 3 cockerels. I will be putting all of my cockerels together in a pen in the next week, except for 1 GNH and the 3 HRIR's since they are still subdued.

 

[jlynnet]

although I am afraid to bring this bird to a show..I just might have too..He has grown into a beautiful bird. He is 7 months old and weighs 10.3 lbs

He's beautiful! And big!

 

[Eggcessive]

Good ideas!

I don't mind the larger chunks of wood ash either but this time the fire had a lot of stuff left in the bottom like some rocks, pieces of broken blocks, etc. Just want to get that stuff out of there.

Hardware cloth. You can make a frame with scrap wood such as a scrap piece of trim.

 

[aoxa]

Hardware cloth. You can make a frame with scrap wood such as a scrap piece of trim.

 

[Eggcessive]

Pretty cockerel Delisha.

 

[delisha]

Thank you everyone..

He is a Gold laced English Orpington

His *skirt* is fluffy and eventually it will have harder feathers and also be laced. He does still have baby feathers. His adult feathers will be deeper black and not have that dusty look. They take 18 months to finish so he has a long way to go.
He is my youngest English Orpington and my largest

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

STUNNING!!!

Is he a GL Orp?

X2

He is so pretty!

 

[nicole63021]

Thank you everyone..

He is a Gold laced English Orpington

His *skirt* is fluffy and eventually it will have harder feathers and also be laced. He does still have baby feathers. His adult feathers will be deeper black and not have that dusty look. They take 18 months to finish so he has a long way to go.
He is my youngest English Orpington and my largest

He is already such a looker, will be a great cock bird going forward I hope! He has such a clean looking lace and a nice rounded shape. Looks like a nice head as well.

 

[MumsyII]

Thank you everyone..

He is a Gold laced English Orpington

His *skirt* is fluffy and eventually it will have harder feathers and also be laced. He does still have baby feathers. His adult feathers will be deeper black and not have that dusty look. They take 18 months to finish so he has a long way to go.
He is my youngest English Orpington and my largest

What a spectacular bird. Truly beautiful.